My invention relates to switching reception of a radio receiver between two signals on different frequencies, and particularly to maintaining reception of the receiver on the stronger of the two signals while periodically and momentarily sampling the weaker of the two signals. If the weaker signal becomes stronger, reception is always changed to the stronger signal with sampling of the weaker signal.
Some radio communication systems require that a single source of information be received over a wide area. In such a system, the single source of information is transmitted by several radio transmitters which are located so that a receiver for the information will be able to obtain a useable signal anywhere in the area to be covered. Each of the radio transmitters transmits on one of two frequencies so that in areas where the coverage of two adjacent transmitters overlaps, reception is obtained by tuning the receiver to only one of the two transmitters. In an overlap area, the receiver should always be tuned to the stronger of the two signals.
Accordingly, a principal object of my invention is to provide a novel arrangement for tuning a radio receiver to the stronger of two transmitted signals.
In some instances, the received signal strength of the two transmitted signals may vary with time, particularly if the receiver is mobile and is moving through an area where the two transmitted signals overlap.
Accordingly, another object of my invention is to provide a new and improved arrangement for tuning a radio receiver to the frequency of a stronger signal for reception, periodically and momentarily tuning the receiver to the frequency of a weaker signal, and switching reception to the weaker signal if it becomes stronger.